It’s almost embarrassing just how much I ate during our recent trip to Europe. With any vacation, I feel like what Julian and I do most is eat and drink. In our defense, though, there is a lot of walking involved whenever we travel, so the eating and the drinking is very much well-deserved and justified. Although we ate so much and tried so many different dishes at various restaurants, I can with certainty tell you that the best meal (as a whole) we had was in London, at Ceviche. The restaurant has a cookbook of the same name, which I never even knew and I own a copy of the book and I love it because of the tiled cover and I just never had a clue. It’s Peruvian food turned up, and it’s delicious. They have a grilled octopus dish that I went crazy for, so much so that I made us order it twice. One right after the other. I’ve never done that before at any restaurant.

I had a favorite dish in every city we visited, mainly because I can’t help but pick favorites in everything that goes on in my life. My favorite sweater, my favorite pair of shoes, my favorite post on the blog (which changes all the time), my favorite movie, and so on and so on. So I didn’t waste any time in picking favorites throughout our trip. My favorite dish in London, was hands down that grilled octopus dish I just mentioned. My favorite in Paris was a tomato and avocado tartine. In Venice it was an arancini (fried rice balls). In Florence, we had a warm seafood salad that was to die for. And in Rome, I had two favorites. The first was a Potato and Sausage Pizza Bianca, which I shared earlier in the week. My second favorite dish, was this Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe. Which is a black peppery cheesy spaghetti dish. It’s the easiest thing to make with like five ingredients that you probably already have on hand, and yet it was the most delicious pasta I’ve ever eaten. How can something so simple and basic taste to great?!

I wanted to recreate it for the blog so that we can all try it and eat it together, if you haven’t already. If you have tried it, then you know what I’m talking about. I’m a huge fan of black pepper, I’ll add it to anything and never look back. So I’m all for a dish who’s star of the show is black pepper. I felt like during this trip, mainly in Italy, it was hard for me to get vegetables in. Everywhere you looked it was bread, cheese, pasta and more bread. I longed for veggies, or even a piece of lettuce as a garnish, just so I can have something healthy. Most of the time, I’d look at a menu and pick out a vegetable and order it just so that I can assure my body that I was still eating veggies. Most of the time I would make us order broccolini, because it’s my favorite vegetable, and it was always served simply, sautéed with garlic and lemon. I feel like this dish goes so well with sautéed broccolini on the side, so I thought why not share it? Let’s Cheers to the Weekend with a simple meal that the whole family will love.

I was recently in New Orleans again this week, and every time I come back home I become “homesick” for the food over there. It’s probably without a doubt some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. That’s quite a statement to make, but it’s so true. The people are amazing and the food is even better. If you’ve ever traveled there, I’m sure you can attest to this, and if you’ve never been, then I suggest you move it to the top of your “must visit” list because you’re missing out on a great cultural experience. My friend Joy lives there, and I’m fortunate to go out often to work with her. She has a handy New Orleans Section on her site with all of her recommendations of places you have to visit and eat and drink at. This kind of guide comes in hand when traveling somewhere new, and especially from a local who has experienced everything first hand. If you can’t travel right now, well have no fear because I have your back. Bring New Orleans to yourself! You deserve it. Try making these Red Beans and Rice Empanadas from the vault, for the perfect snack or appetizer to your Cajun inspired meal. Or give this Jambalaya Pizza a try when you’re feeling like you need to ramp up your pizza toppings. I mean, sure pepperoni is great but sometimes we need a little more, ya know? If you’re not a pizza fan, then make this Jambalaya Pot Pie instead because pot pies are the ultimate comfort food. If you need a cocktail to wash it all down, these Good Morning Margaritas have your name written all over them.

I made these Cajun Stuffed Pasta Shells in partnership with Go Bold With Butter, and I think now is the perfect time to share them with you. I love a good stuffed pasta shell recipe, and sometimes the spinach and sausage recipe I always make just doesn’t cut it. So I came up with this Cajun-inspired take on the classic and I might never look back. If you love jambalaya and gumbo, then you’re going to fall right in love with these. Trust me. It’s the perfect dinner to make when you’re feeling bored of all the dishes you make on a regular basis. Spice up your weekly dinner menu and take a trip down south without having to leave the comfort of your own home.

Pesto is that fancy friend that you wish you could invite to every single party you throw just to class things up a bit. It makes you look like you’re a pro in the kitchen and like you know what you’re doing, because when people hear pesto they’re all like, “Ooooooh, aaaaaawww! Pesto?!?!?!” Yeah, just like that. It’s packed with so much flavor and can be used a million different ways. Okay, so I might be exaggerating a bit…it can be used a hundred different ways. Pesto is versatile. It lends itself to many dishes. You can use it for sandwiches or use it as a marinade for meats and poultry or as a dressing for pasta or green salads or eat it by the spoonful all by itself. I’m not one to judge. P.S. FYI BTW it’s also super delicious and irresistible as a dipping sauce for soft fresh homemade bread, right out of the oven, like focaccia. If you don’t have the time to make your own freshly baked bread (I’ll be judging you slightly this time) then you can definitely use store bought bread. Pick up a loaf at the grocery store and use it for all of your pesto dipping needs. You’ll love it. I promise. Just don’t get too full on bread and pesto because you’ll need to save room for this dish in particular.

There was a time when I was younger when I’d make pesto all of the time. Literally at least once a week. My family really likes pesto and every time I asked them, “What do you guys want for dinner tonight? What should I make?” They’d always say pesto pasta with such enthusiasm that I’d give in and make it for them because why not? Also, I’m a sucker for my mom and sisters. They can literally get me to do anything, but I digress. I made pesto for dinner and lunch so often that the recipe was engraved in my mind. I was seeing it in my sleep. Making it with my eyes closed. Because of this, I got bored of it rather quickly, as you can imagine. I learned a very valuable lesson; even though it’s fancy and even though it’s tasty and delicious, I just couldn’t keep making it the same way over and over again. Now as an adult, I still love pesto but I’m definitely on the look out for new and exciting pesto recipes because the same simple, yet delicious, pesto recipes just aren’t fitting the bill anymore.. The broccoli in this recipe is just about the right amount of “out there” but still delicious and simple enough to make it all the time.

I came across a recipe online with a chunkier version of this broccoli pesto and I figured I definitely had to try it on my own with a few changes. It was just what I needed because it felt like something new and exciting. Fancy but not stuck up. So if you’re part of the pesto fan club, well you should join my family, but also you should try this pasta dish because it’ll knock your socks off. It’s that weeknight dinner you didn’t realize you needed. Now that you have it, watch out…you’re ready to conquer the world. Just remember who helped you get there.

It’s National Mac and Cheese Day today (Tuesday July 14th) and I’m celebrating this momentous occasion the only way I know how, by making a giant pot of the creamiest macaroni and cheese you ever did see. If that isn’t the perfect way to celebrate this beautiful holiday, then I don’t know what is. I couldn’t just give you some boring every day pasta recipe in a cheese sauce though, what kind of person would I be if I did? Don’t answer that. Nothing makes me happier than when two classic recipes come together in a delicious food explosion to make one unbelievable dish. It’s fun and exciting. Such is the case this time around because I’ve gone ahead and thrown ratatouille and mac and cheese together into the same pot. Blasphemous? I’m sure, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way, and I don’t think you should either.

I’ve teamed up with Wisconsin Cheese, once again, to bring you yet another out of this world macaroni and cheese recipe for their All Things Mac and Cheese site. If you’ll recall, earlier in the year, I made an Irish Colcannon Mac and Cheese that taught us a very valuable lesson; cabbage, potatoes and bacon in mac and cheese is always a good idea. Much like with that post, you’ll notice that the recipe won’t be included at the bottom of this page, like it normally is. You’ll have to click on over to their site to get the full recipe! I’m evil, I know, but it’s worth it! (I just want to keep you guys on your toes and make sure you’re paying attention). I’ll include a link at the bottom of the post so you can easily find the recipe and make it at home in honor of your new favorite holiday. Of course, you don’t only have to make it on this day. Do yourself a favor and be sure to make it all summer long because it’s everything you never knew you wanted. You owe it to yourself.

I’ve made and eaten ratatouille only a handful of times here and there, so I’m no expert in the matter. But I am an expert in cheesy sauces tossed around with noodles. I’m a pro at that. I wanted this recipe to be easy enough to whip up in a hurry, but still have all of the sophisticated flavors and tastes that the classic French dish has. It’s the best of both worlds, comfort food meets healthy. Quick side not though, am I the only one that thinks of a rat cooking in Paris, whenever ratatouille is mentioned? I blame Pixar and Disney for that. Although a tiny blue rat in a chef’s apron didn’t make this dish, I can guarantee you that it’ll still knock your socks off. Just blow them clear off your feet. That’s the power of mac and cheese and that’s why it has it’s own national holiday. That’s all I’m saying.

I cook a lot because of what I do for a living, but I don’t have to tell you that, I’m sure you already knew this. If you looked in my fridge right now you would see an obscene amount of food. It’s packed with food storage containers filled with various dishes, ranging from appetizers to salads to entrées from the week’s work. Sometimes it’s crazy how much of it there is in my house at any given moment, but crazier is the fact that we can’t always seem to eat it fast enough. We’ll have friends or family over often, and basically force food down their throats and even then we’ll find ourselves eating a certain dish for several days in a row. It’s a good thing I happen to really love leftovers. It’s not a good thing that Julian is meh about leftovers.

Because I spend so much time in the kitchen on a daily basis, there are times every now and then where the last thing I want to do is get in the kitchen, yet again, and make dinner. Sure, on more than a few occasions what I make and shoot ends up becoming dinner, but as much as I would love for Chunky Monkey Sticky Buns and Strawberry Pistachio Cupcakes to be a hearty supper, it doesn’t always work out that way. Unfortunately my doctor says I need a well rounded meal with protein and vegetables. The nerve! On those days, I find myself making the easiest of dishes. We’ll have tacos (my go-to option) or tuna sandwiches (against Julian’s wishes) for dinner because it’s the quickest thing I can whip up without going crazy because I’ve just spent the entire day in the kitchen. Julian will cook a few nights out of the week which totally makes me happy, and I’ll just spend the night on the couch drinking a cocktail and bask in the pampered life.

We’ve recently made a valiant effort to have a date night at least once a week (every Thursday) where we go out and enjoy a meal somewhere we’ve never eaten before. It gives us a chance to try one of the many restaurants in our neighborhood. I do have to admit though, at times, mainly due to me falling in love with a particular place, we’ll go back to the same restaurant a few weeks in a row. On one of these evenings we tried a cauliflower dish that was out of this world. It was battered and fried and served with a garlic aioli and I couldn’t get enough. Easily one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten outside of my house. Ever since then, cauliflower and I have become the greatest of friends. We’re kind of, sort of inseparable. I’ve now added this Roasted Cauliflower and Sausage Pasta to the rotation when I don’t really feel like cooking because it’s so easy to make. I can shut off my mind and bring it together in no time at all. Although it’s simple with only a handful of ingredients, it’s one of the tastiest pastas you’ll ever try. Cross my heart and kiss my elbow.

I’m the biggest fan of mixing my starches and carbs together to create one satisfyingly delicious dish. If you ask me, potatoes, cheese and pasta are meant to be together forever. Maybe that’s because I don’t think of potatoes as a starch or a carb, that’s crazy, especially when we all know it’s a vegetable. So therefore it’s perfectly acceptable to have potatoes with a side of rice or pasta or bread, or perhaps even all three of them at the same time in the same meal. Have I totally lost my mind? Sure, but at least it’s for something as delicious as carbs on carbs on carbs. I’m no stranger to this logical way of eating, either. Ask my mamma about how when I was a little boy I’d only want to eat rice and potatoes all day long. It was one of my favorite things to have for dinner. White rice with a side of “any kind of potatoes” you can imagine. I wasn’t picky. Although there was this one dish in particular she would make for me where she’d boil whole potatoes, drain them and allow them to cool down. She’d then peel the potatoes, cut them in half (length wise) and then quickly pan fry them until crispy on both sides and while they were still hot she’d sprinkle salt on top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Might sound like something so ordinary but let me tell you, they were out of this world….especially on top of some white rice. I did warn you, I was a weird kid.

I’ve teamed up with Idaho Potato to bring you a few new and exciting recipes this month, and if you’ve been tagging along with me for the ride then you’ll know this is the fourth recipe in this partnership made in heaven. We’ve come to the end of the month and for this last recipe I decided to go comfort food all the way home with one of my favorites, mac and cheese! Idaho Potato Spanish Mac and Cheese just made so much sense to me, you know? A manchego cheese sauce mixed with pasta, green olives, caramelized onions and peppers, crispy Spanish chorizo and of course lots of shredded potatoes. It’s all of the ingredients I love in Spanish cuisine rolled into one deliciously American classic.

This isn’t the first time I’ve added potatoes to a mac and cheese recipe, though, and you know what, I’m sure it won’t be the last. The first time I made magic happen was with this Irish Colcannon Mac and Cheese last week. First it was Ireland and now Spain, I guess I should just jump on the theme I’ve created here, and start a new series called “Mac and Cheese From Around The World!” Or something like that. I’ll have to work on the name a bit more. You’d be surprised how far I can take this. The ideas are already spinning around in my mind. In the meantime though, let’s take a trip to Spain together. I think you should add mac and cheese to your upcoming weekly meal plan. Don’t let me convince you though, let the recipe speak for itself!